Chevrolet cobalt, from 444,000 rubles, CAR from 5.12 rubles / km

It is a sin for Chevrolet dealers to complain: Cobalt appeared in our area in the spring and is already in steady demand, despite its specific appearance. The newcomer, of course, lags far behind the bestsellers "Rio" and "Solaris", but he is not so far from the popularity of "Logan" and "Sandero". Buyers are not embarrassed by either the original design or the confused pedigree (Cobalt has an American surname, it was designed in Brazil and produced in Uzbekistan). And the car cannot boast of a variety of options. So what is the secret of the success of this unremarkable machine? Well, let's figure it out.

How much is?

There are several reasons for this. "Chevrolet" is larger than the overwhelming majority of classmates and at the same time costs 444,000 rubles - this circumstance cannot fail to attract the attention of a zealous person. Moreover, Cobalt's arsenal contains a completely modern 1.5-liter S-TEC III engine - this is a direct relative of the Opel's Ecotech-1.6 engine. Compared to Solaris, Rio and Logan, the basic versions of which are equipped with 1.4-liter units, the extra hundred "cubes" is a definite plus.

Another trump card of "Chevrolet" is a decent equipment. In the initial LT, you do not need to pay extra for remote control central locking, heated front seats and electric heated mirrors. Fortunately, they don't save money on painting bumpers, door handles and mirrors in Tashkent either.

And yet it is hardly worth settling for the base Cobalt. The fact is that such a car is devoid of air conditioning; of the safety features, there is only a driver's airbag. Perhaps this option is acceptable for a freight forwarder of a large company who works in splendid isolation. But a family man should still spend money on options, adding an air conditioner, which can be bought both separately for 26,000 rubles, and together with the automatic transmission - 59,000 rubles.

Well, is the Chevy ready? Do not hurry. Yes, the "automatic" is really convenient in the city, especially since it is a modern and agile unit with six steps. However, the specificity of the LT configuration lies in the fact that the automatic transmission is somehow incompatible with ABS and a second airbag, while for the Cobalt equipped with "mechanics" this set is available for a surcharge of 20 thousand.

It turns out that if you need an "automatic", but not at the expense of safety, then you have to fork out for the LTZ version. Such a car is estimated at 530,000 rubles - but it's worth it! After all, as a bonus, you will receive light alloy wheels, on-board computer, MP3 audio system, alarm and rear power windows. And it really is good offer - similarly equipped classmates are approaching the level of 600,000 rubles.

There are less obvious reasons for the LTZ package. For example, in the price list you will not find the slightest mention of the fact that the basic version has simplified sound insulation, and its wheels are shod with cheap Chinese tires.

Outside and inside

On paper, "Cobalt" is a big friend: its length is 4.5 m, and the wheelbase (2.62 m) is longer than that of other representatives of the "golf" class. In general, this accelerator clearly grew out of the slider group. However, the appearance of the car is deceiving: the forehead body strongly conceals its dimensions, and in life the Chevy does not seem large at all.

Sad as it may seem, the gods of the Cobalt design, alas, deprived of the beauty of their faces: you cannot look into his eyes without a shudder. They seem alien, as if borrowed from a large van. However, I am not the only one who dislikes the headlights of the sedan: I have repeatedly met specimens on the road with which the owners tried to correct the front optics with the help of tinting applied to the upper part of the headlights. With such a "tattoo" the face of "Chevy" still looks more harmonious. By the way, the design flaws are partly concealed by the dark body colors.

But with the stern of the car, everything is more or less in order. In the evening, it is best to leave Cobalt in the parking lot so that in the morning you can see it from this angle. Sharp edges, chopped shapes - everything is quite solid and strict. Note also that in real life the car looks a little better than in the photo.

The pillow has good lateral support, but the wings of the back, alas, are quite mediocre in their duties

Everything is easier with the interior. Fortunately, there is no trace of Brazilian originality here. Those who are familiar with the inner world of Aveo will find many things familiar in Kobe. Although no, the wide rear doors are again their own unique feature. These "wickets" are not much inferior in size to the doors of the larger "Octavia": thanks to them, landing in the second row of the "Chevrolet" is noticeably easier than in many superminis.

To match the sweeping portals and a spacious sofa. Here there is 4–5 cm more headroom in width and height than in Rio and Solaris. True, the three adults in "Cobalt" will still be cramped. The width of the cabin is almost a textbook supermini - neither add nor subtract. But in terms of legroom, our hero is inferior only to "Almera", which is the leader in this discipline. And if it seems to you that the pillow is too short, then this is nothing more than an optical illusion: in fact, its dimensions and profile are chosen correctly.

The light plush material that covers the interior is a clear puncture. This looks good in the photo and is pleasant to the touch, but the usual "shorthaired" gray fabric of the basic version is much more practical.

In a word, the LTZ buyer should immediately spend money on covers. To buy inexpensive, but quite decent capes made of solid dark leatherette is not a big problem today.

Don't believe your eyes! Although there is not much space on the couch, in fact, a person with a height of 185 cm can easily sit down by himself.

Behind the wheel

First impression of inner peace Cobalt can be formulated as follows: the designers looked at the Aveo salon and reproduced it from budget gray plastic, slightly redrawing the dashboard and dashboard along the way. And yet, in spite of everything, Cobalt is quite comfortable. Ergonomics should appeal to those who like a slightly higher fit than conventional cars offer. For the sake of this effect, the slide of the chair is installed on a small elevation, and the pillow is made quite plump. True, even in its lowest position, the driver with a height of 180 cm does not have too much headroom - only 6-7 cm. The height itself is regulated by a rotating round at the base of the seat, although I would have preferred a more comfortable "jack" with a swinging handle ...

Leather steering wheel trim for "Cobalt" is an unaffordable luxury. However, do not be upset: the regular polyurethane "donut" turned out to be quite grasping, not slippery and with tides in the right places. Only it is regulated exclusively by the angle of inclination. My arms are long, so I was able to quickly find the optimal posture. But here the thing is - the future buyer must himself try on the driver's seat before carrying the money to the cashier. But there are no problems with the perception of devices, the effort on the pedals and the control of secondary functions.

However, I had to get used to another feature: the volume knobs and audio system settings are the same in size and are located quite close. However, this is nothing more than a matter of skill. But the sluggishness of the system upset me more. For example, it takes as much as five seconds to change a track when playing music from a flash drive - an amazing sluggishness that is not characteristic of even the most nimble MP3-devices of ten years ago.

There are other nasty little things as well. Pockets in the upholstery of the front doors are distinguished by a low rim: a bottle for a liter and a half is held tight here, but smaller containers fall down at the first sharp braking. The window regulator buttons are located in the forearm area: to manipulate them, you have to unnaturally bend the wrist. These flaws, as they say, cannot be corrected with a little blood. But the lack of a central box-armrest can be made up by visiting any car market.

It is easy to fight with mediocre visibility by installing a rear parking sensor - without its help, the edge of the sedan's stern is not felt very clearly. Yes, and in the corners, sometimes you have to look ahead because of the wide front struts.

We load suitcases

In terms of cargo transportation, "Koba" is the record holder in its class both on paper (545 liters!) And in practice. The back of the sofa folds down in parts, forming an impressive opening into the salon. Such a trunk would have a simpler shape - with fewer nooks and crannies - and at least a couple of hooks for attaching luggage. Alas, the designers of "Chevrolet" did not foresee any rigging devices. However, the rugged owner will probably guess to fit some kind of squiggle to the upholstery and iron ceiling of the hold.

The fact that the trunk lid is devoid of upholstery is upsetting: it is inconvenient to grab the sharp edges of the stiffeners - you can injure your fingers. However, I found that one of the ribs on the right side of the lid is rounded so that it can be used as an inner handle. Cheap and cheerful!

I almost wrote down the inability to uncork the trunk from the passenger compartment, but later I realized that it was much more convenient to do this using a button on the key fob - the range of the remote control transmitter was enough.

In terms of trunk volume, "Cobalt" turned out to be preferable to any classmate. True, you cannot put high luggage directly under the hinges - it will crumple

Security

Cobalt has not been crash-tested in either Europe or America. Indirectly, the strength of the body can be judged by the test results of the soplatform "Aveo", which managed to become an excellent student of "EuroNCAP". True, a car with six airbags was crashed there - "Cobalt" is sold with a maximum of two. Height adjustment of the front belts is available on all cars, but only the LTZ versions are fitted with pretensioners. In addition, in none of the configurations is it possible to get the third rear headrest of the sofa, and the central belt of the sofa is completely two-point - it runs along the waist of the passenger.

However, this feature of the car can be translated for the good: in the center of the sofa, using such a belt, it is easy to fix the simplest children's ottoman chair. And along the edges, you can install full-fledged chairs on isofixes. Have "Cobalt" and "children's" rear door lock. Finally, the right front cushion is made to be disconnected, so that babies can be carried in a special cradle with their backs forward.

The back of the sofa folds down in parts, allowing you to transport lengths up to 2.4 meters.

On the roads ...

By the ability to swallow road pits with "Cobalt" can only be compared with "Logan" - the recognized leader in this discipline. However, fans of high-speed slalom on bumps need to remember: the stern is rearranged outside the bend, and the passage of longitudinal waves is accompanied by a noticeable vertical swing of the body. However, if you follow the immutable rule - to slow down before the start of a maneuver, and not in the process - then the Chevy will hardly disappoint: the energy intensity of the suspension is its main plus.

Yes, and with the power-to-weight ratio of "Koba" everything is in order. A small-sized motor produces 106 forces, and it is not at all necessary to twist it until it rings: it is already quite tolerably lucky from 2500 rpm.

The declared dozen seconds of acceleration to a hundred gives reason to assume that the car is not distinguished by decent dynamics. And what? The car cheerfully picks up speed even with a full load, and with light it tries to pretend to be an athlete. True, at first it seems that the vigor of acceleration is hampered by the "machine". However, having driven the "mechanics", you realize that such a car is almost slower: a long clutch drive and fuzzy (especially when engaging the third and fifth gears) manual gear lever moves restrain the excitement of the engine.

With a certain skill, the “automatic”, on the contrary, provokes to go in the “combat” mode - you just need to carefully, not particularly zealous, wield the accelerator pedal and at the same time do not allow the tachometer needle to go down to idle... Then the gears replace each other extremely smoothly and at the right time.

The sofa allows three people to travel. However, the central passenger is deprived of a headrest, he only has a seat belt

The highest, the sixth, is always included in the case: before the car picks up 70 km / h, it will not give itself out - even if it is forced to do this by manual gear selection. But in cruising mode at a speed of 110–120 km / h, the engine operates at around 2500 rpm (with the "mechanics" the crankshaft rotational speed is about five hundred revolutions higher). And yet, with a fast country driving, the car is already perceived not so much as fast as noisy. Accordingly, the fuel consumption of the "automatic" sedan is less: 8.5 l / 100 km versus nine liters for the "manual" version.

Of course, you can rush much faster, since the engine allows it. However, do not blame me: in the kick-down mode, the "automatic" is late with switching and is too actively fiddling with gears. At 150 km / h, comfort disappears from Cobalt-AT, and the interior is filled with various noises. The reason for this is the aerodynamics of the awkward body, which is far from perfect, the poorly insulated wheel arches and the vociferous high revs motor. In addition, with an increase in speed, the stability of straight-line movement gradually disappears and it is necessary to correct the trajectory with the steering wheel.

But the brakes are what you need: the Chevy effectively slows down at any speed. But on rear axle the simplest drums are installed! Shod in Continental-Conti-Premium-Contact tires, it took Cobalt 39.5 meters on an asphalt-concrete surface to stop from 100 km / h - a result worthy of even more thoroughbred cars. But the tenacity of the Chinese tires "Champiro-VP1", on the contrary, leaves much to be desired.

... and without them

At a cursory inspection, it may seem that the body of "Cobalt" is located at a considerable distance from the ground - this impression is created by high sills and bumpers. They are in fact separated from the planet by an impressive 21-23 cm. However, between the standard steel crankcase and the road, I measured only 15 cm - far from a record, you must agree. In other words, it will not be possible to drive painlessly along the track where a neighbor has just dashingly picked it up in a Zhiguli.

However, outside of the asphalt "Chevrolet" is by no means untalented against the background of their own kind: for example, under the bottom of a "Polo" or "Aveo" there is even less stock. And Solaris and Rio sag significantly more than Cobalt when loading feed.

Operation and service

Cobalt factory warranty conditions are generally typical for many European cars. However, there are also nuances. It is valid for two years without a mileage limitation, but if your annual mileage is relatively small, then you will not be denied repairs during the third year - provided that the odometer did not have time to count 100,000 km. You will have to visit the dealer once every 15,000 km, but at least once a year.

Cobalt can be serviced at any of 160 authorized Chevrolet centers in Russia. There are 25 centers in Moscow and the nearest Moscow region, and in St. Petersburg there are nine of them.

But the cost of service by the standards of a budget brand is quite high. Relatively inexpensive (6-7 thousand rubles) will be the first, third, fifth MOT - and so on. More expensive even TOs can get a significant amount out of your wallet - up to 18,000 rubles.

Dimensions Chevrolet Cobalt, this is one of the main advantages of this budget sedan. The Chevrolet Cobalt, which is less than 4.5 meters long, has a large interior, due to its large wheelbase and a huge trunk.

In fact, a class B car has the interior of a C class car. And in terms of the size of the trunk, it is generally a record holder. Although from the outside, the Chevrolet Cobalt doesn't look great. Distance between front and rear axle, which determines the space for passengers, is 2620 mm, for comparison, the Hyundai Solaris has this figure of 2570 mm, and the Lada Grants has a total of 2476 mm. What is called feel the difference. A photo of the Chevrolet Cobalt salon itself is just below.

Concerning trunk chevrolet Cobalt, then in terms of capacity, it is generally a leader. The volume is 545 liters! This is not counting the presence under the floor luggage compartment full-size spare wheel. The trunk of Grants has a volume of 520 liters, while the same Solaris is only 470 liters. In general, the presence of a luggage compartment of more than 500 liters is already good result... What if rear seats fold, it turns out very practical car for transporting everything your heart desires. Photos of the trunk of the Chevrolet Cobalt below.

Ground clearance or clearance Chevrolet Cobalt, that's honest 16 centimeters. Quite a decent clearance, add to this a reliable impenetrable suspension, it turns out to be an ideal option for our roads. Further detailed chevrolet dimensions Cobalt.

Dimensions, weight, volumes, clearance Chevrolet Cobalt

• Length - 4479 mm
• Width - 1735 mm
• Height - 1514 mm
• Curb weight - from 1146 (manual transmission5) and 1168 (automatic transmission6) kg
• Base, distance between front and rear axle - 2620 mm
• Front and rear wheel track - 1509 mm
• Trunk volume - 545 liters
• Volume fuel tank - 46 liters
• Tire size - 185/75 R14 on steel rims, or cast R15
• Chevrolet Cobalt ground clearance - 160 mm

In general, Chevrolet Cobalt is budget car for avid summer residents who have a family. The main thing for such people is reliability, capacity and unpretentiousness, and the dynamic characteristics and unsightly appearance are of little concern.

The Brazilian branch of GM, by 2011, independently developed its own vision of the state employee. The project was named Chevrolet Cobalt, the novelty, as a concept, was presented in the summer of 2011 in Buenos Aires. Until the end of 2011 in South America sales of this sedan started, and in 2012 the “global” Chevrolet Cobalt reached the Russian market.

In order to avoid confusion, let us immediately explain that under the Chevrolet brand in the United States, the model of the same name was produced in 2004-2010 (GM Delta platform) - using this platform, the following were also produced: Opel astra H (2004-2009), Opel zafira, Chevrolet HHR ...

The second incarnation of the Chevrolet Cobalt uses the old Delta platform - shortened by 4 mm (2620 mm), the manufacturer positions this car as a representative of the European class "B". The four-door, "South American" sedan has 4479 mm length, 1735 mm width, 1514 mm height, and with its dimensions is located between the Chevrolet Aveo and Chevrolet Cruze sedans.

2012 Chevrolet Cobalt exterior model year the Brazilian designers turned out to be original, but boring. The front part with large almond-shaped headlights, an immodest size false radiator grille, a bumper with an additional air duct and "cannons" for foglights is made in the corporate style of the brand. Only disproportionate big sizes headlights and radiator grilles introduce a certain imbalance in the appearance of this car.

The sides of the body with a high waist line (small glass), an almost flat roof, powerful rear pillars, round wheel arches and a lean trunk look fresh, without a hitch.

The stamping at the bottom of the doors somewhat dilutes the mood, but its configuration seems to be asking to be protected by a plastic overlay. The stern with a huge trunk lid is discordant with the "child size" bumper and rear lighting, which is made in the style of "Corsa sedan".

The dimensions of the practical luggage compartment of the Chevrolet Cobalt sedan are 545 liters (leave the former class record holder, Renault Logan, far behind).

The internal component of the second incarnation of the Chevrolet Cobalt sedan in many solutions echoes the interior design Chevrolet aveo 2012 model year. The same three-spoke steering wheel with an insert for metal (the steering column is adjustable in four directions), the original motorcycle dashboard, front dashboard with open shelves for small things. The center console with an attractive and ergonomic configuration and multimedia system, with convenient control knobs for the heater and air conditioning.

The seats in the Chevrolet Cobalt also migrated from the Aveo, the front ones with a bright anatomical shape and pronounced lateral support not only for the cushion, but also for the back of the chair.

Pillow back row molded for two passengers, and there are two head restraints, the third seated person will be uncomfortable. In the second row there is plenty of legroom, passengers of average height will not feel cramped.

The materials used in the interior trim will not be expensive, but of acceptable quality. Besides addition Chevrolet Cobalt II can be equipped with climate control, power windows, power and heated mirrors, front airbags, CD / MP3 radio.

Specifications. For the Russian and market, the second Chevrolet Cobalt is equipped with a petrol 1.5-liter 105-horsepower engine. There will be two gearboxes for it: 5-speed "mechanics" or 6-speed "automatic".

The dynamics of the sedan does not depend on the type of gearbox - it is, in any case, 11.7 seconds "to the first hundred", and the maximum speed is 170 km / h.

But in terms of fuel efficiency - "mechanics", nevertheless, wins. Fuel consumption (and the manufacturer recommends 95th gasoline) with manual transmission will be 6.5 liters per 100 km in "mixed" mode (8.4 - "in the city" or 5.3 - "on the highway"), and with "automatic" fuel consumption will increase to 7.6 liters "on average" (10.4 in the urban cycle or 5.9 on the highway).

By the way, the Basil version of the Chevrolet Cobalt is equipped with 1.4 liter EconoFlex engines. with a power of 97 hp. when running on gasoline and delivering 102 hp ethanol (Brazil is the world's largest biofuel producer). A 5-speed manual gearbox is offered to help the engine. Dynamics up to "hundreds" of 11.9 sec, at maximum speed 170 km / h

Chevrolet Cobalt is built on the classic for budget car suspension: front independent on MacPherson struts, rear semi-independent with a torsion beam.

In general, knowing the characteristics of the suspension, the engine power and the gearbox used, understand how it will behave budget Chevrolet Cobalt on the road is easy. The car is built on the proven Delta platform, a typical representative of which is the Opel Astra H (now out of production). So, on roads with poor coverage, the driver and passengers will have to take on all the pits, joints and road ripples due to the rigid suspension. When driving slowly steering will be adequate, body roll - insignificant. It won't work, the car is not "tuned" for high-speed taxiing and abrupt rearrangements. In critical situations, it is possible for the rear axle to slip into a skid, but good and tenacious brakes should save the situation.
Summing up, this "Cobalt" can be attributed to a number of typical representatives of the "budget segment". The main features of the car: original design, interesting functional interior, mediocre handling.

The budget Chevrolet Cobalt sedan is produced for the CIS countries in Uzbekistan (at the GM Uzbekistan plant).

Options and prices. In 2015 Chevrolet Cobalt on russian market is offered in two trim levels: LT and LTZ. Sedan cost in basic configuration "LT" (with a 1.5-liter, 105-horsepower engine and 5MKPP) starts at 571 thousand rubles. And "Cobalt" with the same engine, but already with "automatic" is offered at a price of 637 thousand rubles. For a price of 668 thousand rubles will be offered "top" chevrolet equipment Cobalt (optional equipment includes: ABS, front passenger airbag, foglights, CD + USB audio system, rear power windows and 15 ″ alloy wheels).

We restore the geometry of the Chevrolet Cobalt body after an accident with painting:

Our advantages

• we use professional Italian equipment MaxMeyer
• fall into color
• the price of the slipway works of the Chevrolet Cobalt Yuzao is one of the lowest with the same quality
• higher level than that of official dealers
• 15 years of experience (we are at the same address all the time)
• guarantee
• discounts (where can we go without them)

general information

As a result of a road traffic accident (RTA), the car is damaged. As a result, fenders, doors, hood or bumper get under the replacement. But if the impact has violated the geometry of the body, replacing the attachments is indispensable. You will learn why driving a car with broken geometry is dangerous and how to fix such defects.

What is body geometry

In a working car, the distance between the body test points is in accordance with the factory standards. Therefore, the mounted units and assemblies are located and work as expected. After an accident, the distances between the control points of the body change, this affects the location of the units and assemblies relative to the body and each other. If the gearbox shifts relative to the drive axle, the load on cardan shafts... Violation of the geometry in the area of \u200b\u200bthe doors leads to the inability to use the doors normally. If the location and direction of at least one shock absorber strut is changed, vehicle control is impaired. The load on the wheels increases, which leads to increased wear. There are cases when repeated and professionally performed similarity collapse did not help to correct the car's sideways movement and increased rubber wear. The problem was solved only by restoring the body geometry. It is necessary at least once every five years to diagnose the body and determine the violation of the geometry, this will allow to detect and eliminate the problem in time.

How to restore body geometry

Before the appearance of slipways, the car was attached to the mountings mounted in the wall, and on the other side hooks connected to a winch or hoist were fastened. And they pulled the car to the required size. This method of restoring the geometry of the body made it possible to correct only severe damage, moreover, it negatively affected the intact areas, weakening the metal. It was possible to correct the situation only with the appearance of slipways, which make it possible to correct damage by acting on problem areas. With the help of these devices, the normal, recommended by the manufacturer, distances between all control points of the body are restored.

The damaged car is placed on the slipway, secured in the necessary places and proceeds to pulling individual elements or the whole body. Due to the physicochemical properties of body steel, it is impossible to compensate for damage to the frame or side members at a speed exceeding 5 mm per hour. Therefore, to recover serious damage takes up to one week. Despite high cost slipway work, restoration of geometry is cheaper than replacing the body.

We remind you that the restoration of the geometry of the Chevrolet Cobalt body in the club service AutoMotoService (South-West Administrative District) is inexpensive, with the same quality.

Chevrolet Cobalt belongs to the line of budget sedans. The serial version of this C-class car model was released back in 2011, but it is still in great demand among motorists different countries... To the advantages of the model for domestic motorists, which is produced at the car factories of Uzbekistan, it is worth attributing the McPherson struts used in the front suspension, they made the suspension stiffer. Thanks to this know-how, it is much easier for Chevrolet Cobalt to cope with bad roads than other models of cars of this concern. Other features of this basic vehicle include:

• a record high - 545 liters - the volume of the luggage compartment;
• heated front seats;
• height-adjustable steering column and other pleasant differences.

Vehicle dimensions and power characteristics

Chevrolet Cobalt has an impressive size of 4.5 meters in length. Although it belongs to the "C" class, in its essence it does not differ in any way from the cars of the "B" class. Judging by appearance, the car does not look huge, which absolutely cannot be said about its record-breaking large cabin. The developers of this model have achieved this result thanks to the increased distance between the front and rear axles, which determines the space for passengers - it is 2620 mm. This is 144 mm more than the Lada Grants, and even 50 mm more than the Hyundai Solaris. Adding to these advantages a confident 16cm ground clearance and a reliable impenetrable suspension, we get a low-budget sedan-based crossover.

Chevrolet Cobalt has a 1.5-liter gas engine with a cast iron cylinder block and an aluminum cylinder head with two camshafts. Thanks to its smooth operation, the sedan accelerates to 100 km / h in 11.7 seconds. A 6-speed automatic transmission gears paired with the engine produces 105 horse power power.

In addition to the engine, it is also an important factor when choosing vehicle is the fuel consumption. Chevrolet Cobalt requires 7.6 liters quality gasoline to overcome 100 km of track in a combined cycle. The size of Chevrolet Cobalt wheels in the basic configuration is standard for this brand: the car has alloy or steel wheels R 15. The size of Chevrolet Cobalt tires also depends on the configuration and the year of manufacture.

In general, the characteristics of Chevrolet bring this model to a level above average. can be found in any authorized Chevrolet showroom in your country. Thanks to reliability, internal spaciousness and external dimensions Chevrolet Cobalt is budget family car, which is chosen by the majority of domestic motorists.